FulhamFTW’s Custom Boots

A few weeks ago, you may have seen an article we featured an about boot art. Now, Soccer Reviews has found an unique individual named Ben, aka Fulham FTW, who has developed his own original process for changing the colors of boots. Luckily for us, Soccer Reviews was able to have quick interview with Ben.

Why did you start painting your boots?

I think everyone likes the idea of having something unique, otherwise NikeID and MiAdidas wouldn’t exist. I liked the idea of creating something that nobody else had, and after watching some tutorials on shoe painting, I decided to give it a go on my own boots. It really just started as a creative outlet and gave me something to do while I was at home with my newborn daughter. She’s 2 yrs old now and it seems I might have got her interested in it as well. She likes to help me paint.

What material(s) do you use to paint each boot?

I use a combination of acetone and Angelus brand painting products. The acetone is for stripping the original finish and Angelus paints are reliable, quality products that I trust.

How long does it take you to complete each boot?

Completion time is dependent on the scale of the job. More colors and different materials require more work. Proper prep work is also crucial to ensuring the durability of the job, so it can be time consuming as well. I can complete a one color job (on leather) within a couple of days, including the finishing process.

How many boots have you customized, and which ones?

I have painted a few of my own boots that can be viewed on the Big soccer forums, as well some refreshing of the paint on some local peoples boots and casual shoes. I honestly don’t spend too much time on it because I haven’t had very many requests. I would love to do more projects and offer white out/black out services to those who are interested.

Ben also noted while the paint will not chip off the boots, it will not prevent the boots from ripping; the customized boots will only last as long as the boots themselves will. The best thing to do for someone who plans on only wearing customs is to have a few pairs to increase the longevity of the job. The colors hold up in all types of conditions, but are meant for leather shoes, so harsh use of synthetic boots can comprise the durability of the paint. The paint does however work really well on Vapors and Superfly’s though.

For all of the pictures above, the white out versions are the boots stripped with acetone; FulhamFTW then paints over the boots with special angelus paints.

If you have any questions or request for FulhamFTW, post them in the comments section below. If you have customized any boots or know of ways to customize boots, send your information to [email protected]